New Dimensions Physical Therapy

New Dimensions Physical Therapy is now offering FREE 15 minute injury screening sessions! Meet one of our experienced therapists to discuss your injury and gain some practical advice on how to resolve it.

In-person or Telehealth screenings are available!

We look forward to helping you move better!

Deep Breaths: How Breathing Affects Sleep, Anxiety & Resilience : Fresh Air

At New Dimensions, we are fascinated by the breath and how it affects our mood, pain, and overall health, which is why we address breathing with so many of our patients. We found this podcast on the topic of breathing interesting and hope you do too. Give it a listen!
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"Humans typically take about 25,000 breaths per day — often without a second thought. But the COVID-19 pandemic has put a new spotlight on respiratory illnesses and the breaths we so often take for granted. We talk with journalist James Nestor about why breathing through your nose is better than breathing through your mouth, snoring, and how breath work can affect your overall health. His book is 'Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art.'"
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https://www.npr.org/2020/05/27/863395357/deep-breaths-how-breathing-affects-sleep-anxiety-resilience

Deep Breaths: How Breathing Affects Sleep, Anxiety & Resilience : Fresh Air Humans typically take about 25,000 breaths per day — often without a second thought. But the COVID-19 pandemic has put a new spotlight on respiratory illnesses and the breaths we so often take for granted. We talk with journalist James Nestor about why breathing through your nose is better than br...

Debbie Fuqua PT has spent 30 years as a physical therapist cultivating her natural gift of healing and feeling into the Bioenergetics of the human body. She sharpened this gift with the rare opportunity of working directly with the nervous system of tiny humans who were fighting for their lives at Texas Children’s Hospital for 17 years. This allowed her to refine her skill set of sensing into and treating imbalances in the musculoskeletal system as well as the energetic field in fragile patients who couldn’t verbally communicate.
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We are thrilled that she is joining our practice to treat patients who are suffering from back & neck pain, headaches & concussions, TMJ, Fibromyalgia, and chronic pain. When Debbie touches areas of pain and tension in the body, they melt. She has the ability to invite the body to gently unwind and let go of patterns that no longer serve them. She has enjoyed much success in integrating her skill set with orthopedics and applying it to working with our patients. Simultaneously, she is a resident in the postgraduate training that Rebecca has been teaching for the past three years and is actively integrating this skill set into her practice as well. We are so thankful to have her experience, intuition, skill and healing hands in our clinic!
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“I am so excited to have moved to Austin to be in this unique healing space that Rebecca has created. I love the team approach and collaboration that happens in this clinic and it is wonderful to contribute to a practice that delivers such a high level of care. My desire to continue to grow and master new skills at an advanced level is fulfilled in being at New Dimensions PT where the environment is about constant learning and supporting each other to be the best practitioners we can be. While I am excited to spend time in our new home in Costa Rica, I love working with the patients that I have been seeing here so much that I am going to stay for the next year and share the gifts that I have to help our patients heal.”

Proper Sitting Posture to Reduce Back Pain

Has this prolonged period of working from home started to negatively impact your neck or back? For some of us, working from home has meant more time sitting in positions that cause discomfort and may even result in our neck or back pain getting worse.

The first thing to do when you notice discomfort coming on is to take a movement break or change your sitting position. Discomfort that comes on after a prolonged period of sitting is your body's way of saying "hey, I need to move!".

Another tactic is learning how to sit in a posture that reduces stress on your back and neck. Watch the video linked below to learn how to sit with decreased pain.

Need help with your at home work set-up? Schedule a telehealth session and we can help you troubleshoot your workspace for reduced neck and back pain!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bS0U6VnuBQ

Proper Sitting Posture to Reduce Back Pain This is an instructional video that describes in detail how to move into sitting and how to sit for optimal alignment, breath and for reduced stress and stra...

Great news! Telehealth Works!

Telehealth allows us to provide physical therapy treatment sessions from the safety of your home via electronic methods using video and audio on your computer or phone. By implementing remote sessions, we are able to ensure your continued progress towards your goals! Your sessions are tailored to your specific needs and goals and could involve any of the following topics:

- Evaluations for new complaints or concerns
- Movement and posture analysis and treatment
- Gait analysis and treatment
- Exercises and techniques for pain management
- Establishing a home exercise program
- Guidance on home exercises to ensure correct form and desired outcomes
- Assistance transitioning your typical gym workout into a home workout
- Assistance setting up your home office to support ideal ergonomics
- Guidance and support from your therapists regarding your pain and function

We have had great success with telehealth sessions over the past 6-weeks! Give us a call to speak to one of our therapists to determine if telehealth is appropriate for you!

To Our Dear Patients,

We are excited to re-open our doors in a manner that is gradual and safe and are currently accepting a limited number of patients at New
Dimensions Physical Therapy for in-person visits.

We have implemented exceptionally thorough precautions to keep our
patients and staff as safe as possible. You can see our website for our
basic COVID-19 procedures or if you would like a copy of our in house
COVID-19 policies please let us know.

For anyone who is not comfortable about resuming in-person treatment
sessions, we are still offering Telehealth. We have been conducting
these web-based sessions for the past 6 weeks with great success!

We are here to support you in whatever capacity we can, be that in-
person, via Telehealth, an email, or a phone call, please let us know how
we can help!

Wishing you all wellness and love,
New Dimensions Physical Therapy Team

Biomechanics of Efficient Breathing-One Second Reset

You know that your breath is important. Of course it is, if we don't breathe, we can't deliver oxygen to our body and brain! But did you know that HOW you breathe is greatly important to your overall health, your pain, and your performance?
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This video will help you discover your breathing tendencies and teach you how to breathe more efficiently. This is critical for anyone with pain or interest in improved athletic performance.
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It will teach you how to do a one-second reset where a full exhale will allow you to access the bottom of your breath where you have access to bringing in more oxygen as well as a state where your parasympathetic nervous system becomes more dominate. This allows for reduced stress and great health benefits.
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If you liked this post, please share it! Do you have a question? Leave a comment below!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvfLnn5p4bs

Biomechanics of Efficient Breathing-One Second Reset This video will help you discover your breathing tendencies and teach you how to breath more efficiently. This is critical for anyone with pain or interest i...

Pain & Healing

If you have struggled with pain or injury, please know that it is not abnormal to have flare-ups during times of stress. Our bodies are inherently resilient and designed to heal, but when we have accumulated a lifetime of stressors it can be difficult for our bodies to regulate a new traumatic event on top of everything mental and physical we already have going on. Increased pain in a time of stress does not mean you are sliding all the way backward. It is an indicator that we need to pay attention to the external and internal variables that are overburdening our systems.

This video by New Dimensions founder, Rebecca Kern Steiner, explains why the stresses in our lives can contribute to increased physical pain. Please give it a watch and take a moment to reflect on what might be causing your cup to overflow.

Let us hold love and grace for ourselves and each other, now, and always.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAOthtdjirs

Pain & Healing Often we attribute pain and the inability to heal with aging. Actually it’s often just because our body has adapted as much as it possibly can. This video wi...

New Dimensions Update on COVID-19

All of us here at New Dimensions Physical Therapy and New Dimensions Healing Arts care deeply about our patients’ well beings and strive to maintain the feeling of safety and healing that you have come to expect from us. It is natural and valid to be concerned about the uncertainty of COVID-19, which is why we are taking this situation seriously while maintaining an atmosphere of peace. To assure the protection and safety of our patients and staff, we are taking the following precautions.

- We are asking everyone to wash their hands upon entering New Dimensions and to wash or sanitize hands between coughing, sneezing, touching nose and mouth, and touching surfaces.

- Please stay home if feeling at all sick or presenting with fever or respiratory symptoms or if you believe you have been in contact with someone who is suspected to have coronavirus.

In-house, we are sanitizing all surfaces hourly and all equipment between patient use. We are supporting social distancing to the best of our ability by treating in private treatment rooms and limiting overlapping time spent in the gym. We are washing hands between patients, working to break the habit of touching our faces, and supporting our immune systems with healthy habits.

We encourage everyone to engage in consistent health-promoting practices as well - adequate sleep, deep breathing to reduce stress and improve immunity, eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, and use increased time spent in the home to bond with family, move, and play.

We all have the responsibility to practice good public health and support each other in our beloved community. Our actions have an impact.

Please call our office with any questions about our policies.

Wishing you all wellness and love.

Wim Hof breathing tutorial by Wim Hof

The spread of Coronavirus has certainly caught our attention! Here's what we're doing at New Dimensions Physical Therapy to prevent the spread of germs and boost our immune systems!

1) Follow CDC steps to prevent illness - wash hands frequently and sanitize surfaces. Link in comments below

2) Avoid touching your face. See our tips in the comments below

3) Practice breathing techniques that support our immune system and reduce stress. Try it for yourself here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzCaZQqAs9I

Leave a comment with how you felt after practicing this breathing tutorial! Remember to follow the instructions to ensure your safety while you practice.

Wim Hof breathing tutorial by Wim Hof This is the first video of the free Mini Class, click the link below for more free videos! https://www.wimhofmethod.com/free-mini-class Wim Hof Breathing gui...

New Dimensions Physical Therapy's cover photo

Photos from New Dimensions Physical Therapy's post

After treating a lot of climbers it was fun to get to play myself at Hueco Tanks! Here’s a “Where is Waldo”
—see if you can find Rebecca on the rock...:)

The energy on this island is so amazingly powerful and humbling. This is why I come here!

So great to have family time after working with patients!

The beauty of this island moves me deeply!

Topped off the Healing Intensive with 4 handed Lomi Lomi for everyone!!
Thank you Carrie DeMers for joining me and turning everyone into butter!!!IWe had a great time & our hearts are full!!❤️❤️❤️

Hawaii Healing Intensive 2017!
So happy to be here!With gratitude, preparing myself to greet my patients with Aloha🌴🏄‍♀️❤️

We just finished our first year series of the SIM Training! Steiner's Integrated Method of holistic physical therapy. What a privilege to teach and learn with these fantastic practitioners!

The dangers of being sleep-deprived

Below is an article published by CNN on the effects of sleep on our health. This is great information!

http://www.cnn.com/2017/07/19/health/dangers-of-sleep-deprivation/index.html

Sacrificing sleep? Here's what it will do to your health
Paint your bedroom a tranquil color to make your room a restful one.
Story highlights

Sleep deprivation can make you sick or irritable and even kill you
Developing good habits can bring back a good night's rest
(CNN)We are one groggy, cranky, sleep-deprived population.

Depending on our age, we are supposed to get between seven and 10 hours of sleep each night.

But according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a third of us get fewer than seven hours of sleep per night. In addition, 50 million to 70 million Americans suffer from sleep disorders such as sleep apnea, insomnia and restless leg syndrome, which can ruin a good night's shuteye.

And we're not alone. In bedrooms around the globe, men, women and children are tossing and turning. According to World Sleep Day statistics, sleep deprivation is threatening the health of up to 45% of the world's population.

Risking life and money

Science has linked poor slumber with high blood pressure, a weakened immune system, weight gain, a lack of libido, mood swings, paranoia, depression and a higher risk of diabetes, stroke, cardiovascular disease, dementia and some cancers.

How to sleep better: 37 hacks
Car crashes, industrial disasters, and medical and occupational errors also increase as we tire, not to mention a decrease in work productivity and efficiency.

A study by RAND Europe found that the United States loses an estimated $411 billion each year from workers who sleep fewer than six hours a night. That's about 2.28% of US gross domestic product. Japan comes next, with $138 billion, or 2.92% of GDP, followed by Germany ($60 billion; 1.56% of GDP) and the United Kingdom ($50 billion; 1.86% of GDP).
But guess what would happen if those same people added an hour of pillow time? The US could add $226.4 billion back to the economy, the study said, and Japan would recover $75.7 billion, while Germany and the UK would be blessed with an additional $34.1 and $29.9 billion.

Consequences on your body

Exactly how does a lack of sleep affect the body? There are the obvious signs: irritation, moodiness, dull reflexes and a fuzzy mind. As you can imagine, how those continue to affect us depends on whether the deprivation is short-lived or long-term and chronic.

Weakened reflexes

Studies show that after 17 to 19 hours without sleep, you'll be functioning as if you've been drinking enough to raise your blood alcohol concentration to 0.05%. Skip a full 20 to 25 hours of sleep, and you'll soon be at 0.1% -- well over the US legal driving limit of 0.08.
In other words, a lack of sleep for one night can impair your reflexes and decision-making to the same extent as being over the limit.

But sleeping less than the recommended amount on a regular basis can be almost as bad. A lab-based sleep study found that people who were sleeping fewer than six hours a night for two weeks -- and who thought they were doing just fine -- functioned as badly on cognitive and reflex tests as people who were deprived of sleep for two full nights.
Skipping two hours of sleep may double your crash risk, study says
This is evident in traffic statistics. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that at least 100,000 accidents reported to US police are the result of drowsy driving. This results in an estimated 1,550 deaths, 71,000 injuries and $12.5 billion in monetary losses, according to the National Sleep Foundation.

An unfocused mind

While you sleep, your brain is busy. It's preparing for the next day, sorting your experiences and making new pathways for learning.

To capture newly acquired information, absorb fresh skills and form key memories -- as well as to retrieve them later -- you need plenty of sleep time to let your brain do its work. A lack of sleep therefore impacts your ability to pay attention, learn new things, be creative, solve problems and make decisions.

Our ancient ancestors may have slept better than you, but less
A chronic lack of sleep is also closely tied to anxiety and depression, as the body struggles to cope with the stress of sleepiness.

Some studies have found a connection between sleep apnea, a disorder with which you actually stop breathing for up to a minute, and cognitive impairment, and insomnia has been associated with reduced brain size.
There's even growing evidence that poor sleep early in life can lead to the development of the plaques and tangles that cause Alzheimer's and other kinds of dementia.

Can poor sleep lead to Alzheimer's?
A study published this month in the journal Brain found that healthy middle-age adults who slept badly for just one night produced an abundance of the protein beta amyloid, responsible for the plaques characteristic of Alzheimer's. A week of disrupted sleep upped the amount of tau, another protein responsible for the tangles associated with Alzheimer's, frontal lobe dementia and Lewy body disease.
If that's not enough, a study in mice by the University of Pennsylvania found that prolonged periods without sleep actually killed brain cells.
Continued sleep deprivation can also lead to wide swings in mood, increasing paranoia and even hallucinations. The chronically sleep-starved will also become less able to tolerate pain and resist coercion, which makes it one of the military's favorite tools for torture.
Poor repairs

Deep sleep, the kind that comes only after a full cycle, is necessary for the body to release hormones designed to repair cells and build tissue in the body and brain, especially in children and teens.

Unfortunately, although preteens and teens need the most sleep of any age group -- at least nine hours a night -- they are the least likely to get enough rest.

Early start times for school, combined with today's technology lures, high stress levels and late-to-bed habits, are creating a nation of sleep-starved youngsters. Over 90% of US high school students are chronically sleep-deprived, with 20% getting fewer than five hours a night, according to a Sleep in America poll.
Here's how long children should sleep every day
According to a study from the CDC, this sets teens up to engage in more risky behavior, such as drinking or texting while driving or not wearing a seat belt or helmet, compared with those who get at least nine hours a night. Previous studies on teen sleep found that fewer than eight hours a night was also associated with obesity, migraines, substance abuse, lack of exercise, sexual activity, feelings of depression and thoughts of su***de.
The teen sleep problem is so bad that in 2014, the American Academy of Pediatrics issued a policy statement asking schools across the country to delay the start of middle and high school to no earlier than 8:30 a.m. Even though some schools are heeding that call, the advocacy group Start School Later says that more than four in five start classes earlier than the recommended time.
Weight gain

Studies show that poor sleep leads to an increase in hunger and weight gain. That's partly due to the connection between sleep and the peptides that regulate your appetite: ghrelin and leptin. Ghrelin, which makes you hungry, goes up when you don't get enough sleep. At the same time, leptin, which sends "full" signals to the brain, decreases.

Weight loss can be tied to when, not just what, you eat
A lack of sleep is known to increase stress, which pumps up the body's primary stress hormone, cortisol.

Among other things, cortisol helps control blood sugar levels and regulates metabolism. During times of stress, the increased cortisol causes higher insulin levels, which in turn drops your blood sugar and results in cravings for fatty, sugar-filled foods.

Shorter, unhealthier lifespan

Getting less than the recommended amount of sleep each night on a regular basis raises your risk of dying. In a longitudinal study of 10,308 British civil servants published in 2007, researchers found that those who reduced their sleep from seven to five hours or fewer a night were almost twice as likely to die from all causes, especially cardiovascular disease.
The great American sleep recession
Here's the worst news: As you head toward death, your chances of developing a major disease or medical condition are also much higher if you don't get enough sleep. That's because during sleep, your body is literally repairing and restoring itself on a cellular level.

Studies show a significant association between a lack of sleep and cardiovascular disease. Weight gain can lead to obesity and type 2 diabetes. Your immune system takes a hit, making you more vulnerable to colds, flu and all sort of viruses and other infectious diseases.

It may even mess with your genes. A small study of 15 men looked at the impact of sleep deprivation on "clock genes" that regulate circadian rhythm. They found that the loss of a single night's sleep could alter those genes in key metabolic tissues. Whether that change is permanent is unknown.

Changing your sleep habits

The good news is that you can do something about your sleep deficit.

You can train your brain to seek better sleep just as you train it to learn and accomplish other skills. One of the first tasks is to set up your sleep environment and establish a relaxing bedtime routine. It's that repetition that will train your brain to recognize that its time to relax and sleep.

The healthiest way to improve your sleep: exercise
Cool temperatures

Start with the bedroom. Make sure your bed and pillows are comfortable and the room is cool: Between 60 and 67 degrees is best. Don't watch TV or work in your bedroom; you want your brain to think of the room as only for sleep.

Mood lighting

Be sure to eliminate all bright lights, as even the blue light of cellphones or laptops can be disruptive. If that's hard to accomplish, think about using eye shades and blackout curtains to keep the room dark.

Try to eliminate disturbing sounds as well. Earplugs or white noise machines can be very helpful, but you can create your own with a humidifier or fan.

During the day, try to get good exposure to natural light, as that will help regulate your circadian rhythm.

Sleep better with six minutes of bedtime yoga
Develop a routine

Then, establish a bedtime routine you can follow each night. Taking a warm bath or shower, reading a book, listening to soothing music, meditating or doing light stretches are all good options.

Food and drink to avoid

Other suggestions for good sleep include avoiding stimulants such as ni****ne or coffee after midafternoon, especially if you have insomnia. Alcohol is another no-no. You may think it helps you doze off, but you are more likely to wake in the night as your body begins to process the spirits.

Tell us your story
We love to hear from our audience. Follow on Twitter and Facebook for the latest health news and let us know what we're missing.
Also avoid rich, fatty foods just before sleep. If you have any digestive issues, eating fried or fatty foods, spicy meals, some citrus and even carbonated drinks can trigger heartburn and indigestion.

Get moving

Exercise is key to promoting good sleep. According to the National Sleep Foundation, as little as 10 minutes a day of walking, biking or other aerobic exercise can "drastically improve nighttime sleep quality."

Follow all these steps, and you'll be well on your way to closing your sleep deficit and improving your health.

cnn.com Forget being groggy and irritable, being starved of sleep can endanger your life. Here's how sleep deprivation can harm you and what you can do about it.

Train This, Not That: The Core Edition

Great article by a wonderful woman I went to high school with. This is what we are always trying to stress with our patients!

https://www.acefitness.org/blog/5038/train-this-not-that-the-core-edition/?authorScope=6

acefitness.org Why do you train the core? When doing any type of core strengthening, it is important to ask yourself why you do each movement, and to weigh the risk vs. benefit of the exercise you have selected. Check out this review of some popular core exercises and why we do them, and learn about some safer alt...

Timeline Photos

Taronga Zoo In Sydney Australia! Too Cute!

Ok-so I have to come clean-
great aspirations to chew but we are slamming food and running out the door to our next adventure.
Or…the food is so yummy and we are so hungry…..We will chew when we return home.

I challenge you to a 3 week focus on chewing. A significant percent of our carbohydrate digestion happens in our mouth--if we chew. Try 75 chews per bite. Let the chewing begin!😊